Early bowman baseball: Artist

[enoch47]

Does anyone know any of the artist names that worked on 50's bowman baseball cards? Any help would be appreciated!

[Chris Counts]

I've long wondered the same thing. The '50, '51 and '52 sets, in my opinion, are a tremendous artistic achievement. I'm curious how many artists were involved as well. It seems like it couldn't possibly be just one. The photographer of the '53 set deserves recognition as well. I've always been amazed at how at ease and lighthearted all the players look in the '53 set. The photographer clearly had a great rapport with the players. As for the other four Bowman sets, I don't even bother collecting them. But the '50-'53 sets are truly remarkable and have never received the credit they deserve as some of the finest baseball cards ever produced ...

[enoch47]

I have what I believe is some early artist proofs from around 53-56. The cards were picked up from sam rosen in sept of 1957. I am trying to compare works and maybe one guy is still alive! They are so awesome that they had to be from one of the big dogs

[enoch47]

Football Artist as well would be helpful!

[tedzan]

Warren Bowman and George Moll were very close business associates in the late 1930's to mid 1950's. Bowman had the Trademark for his popular BLONY
bubble gum (circa 1935). George Moll operated an Advertising Agency in Abington, PA. George employed 12 professional artists and they did the artwork
for all the GUM, Inc. and BOWMAN sports and non-sports cards from 1938 - 1955. The lead (senior) artist was Charlie Steinbacher.

I interviewed George Moll at his home in 1981 for a BB card article that I was writing for Bob Lemke's Baseball Cards magazine. Mr. Moll was in his 80's at
that time, but he still was as enthusiastic as a young kid talking and showing me a lot of the artwork, uncut sheets of 1950's BB and FB cards, and his BB
card collection which started with the 1933 Goudey set. A very gracious and fine gentleman.


TED Z

[enoch47]

these are a few scans of the cards, they all look bowman like, im tring to match up a artist potentially

[skooter]

Do you have a copy of the article, or know where I can get one. I would love to read it!

[tedzan]

This Bowman article is titled "The Case of the Mysterious 1949 Bowmans". It is a 6-page (well-researched) story that resolved
the existing confusion (at that time) regarding the dozen (or so) variations in this Bowman set.

Provide me your mailing address and I will send you a color xerox copy.

Email me directly........tedzan11@comcast.net

No PM's please.


TED Z

[tedzan]

Are you sure that your top picture is Nellie Fox ?

(1) The BB player in this picture resembles White Sox outfielder Dave Philley more so than Nellie Fox.

(2) Nellie Fox started with the Philadelphia A's in 1947, and traded to the White Sox for the 1950 season.
Fox was not depicted in the Bowman sets till 1951. He is depicted in a different pose than the one in your top picture.

(3) The Ned Garver picture is circa 1948-1949 and was the image used by Bowman to create his 1949 & 1950 Bowman cards.



TED Z

[Chris Counts]

The inclusion of Kramer makes me wonder if they really are Bowmans. He basically didn't arrive on the scene until '55, and didn't play in the pros until '57. Clarke started up about the same time. Why would Bowman create such a crude prototype in '56 when their artists, by that time, were producing much better work? The design would make sense if Bowman created it in '49, but not '56. Also, I've seen a few '56 Bowman proofs (Shuba and Koshorek?) and they look nothing like these cards ...